luxury – Page 3 – MISS HOLLY P

When going to London there are many different places to go and see and sometimes it can be a real struggle to not end up in a chain or a tourist trap if you aren’t familiar with whats going on around you. The struggle is also real when wanting to live the lifestyle of your fave celebs and stars of instagram with what looks like endless days of wining, dining and living it up.

I’ve popped together a little guide of some tried and tested places that I’ve been that shouldn’t break the bank.

So for me the staple to any day out revolves around eating and with the choice around London making a decision on one place to go can be tricky. It’s amazing how many people that I’ve spoken to even my friends who live there who don’t know about the Book A Table- Star Deals. This is quite literally where I begin to plan my trip for either lunch or dinner. There is something on the for most tastes and price ranges and if you’re a real foodie or have a taste for the finer things Michelin star restaurants are frequently included and lots of beautiful places that are definitely a must see at least once like Aqua Shard and other restaurants in the Shard. If the choice is still too much I have never been disappointed by relying on good old Trip Advisor to find the quality in the quantity.

I have eaten in the Northall restaurant at the Corinthia hotel twice on their 3 course menu including champagne for £35 and more recently ate at Roux at The Landau for the same 3 courses with champagne for £38. Sadly Michel Roux JR was not there but it did excite me as a foodie and film lover geek that it was where Burnt was filmed (loser, I know) Both are absolutely stunning restaurants in even more stunning hotels, the staff and service is just incredible and you feel like nothing short of royalty. The Artesian bar in the Langham where Roux is was once classed the #1 cocktail bar in the world and is fab if you want something a little different.

One deal thats always on there that has amazing reviews is steak, lobster and a cocktail plus a £50 betting chip at the Heliot steakhouse above the Hippodrome casino for £20!! So you could actually leave full of surf ‘n’ turf better off!!

Then there is that most wonderfully relaxing meal that chilled out weekends are made for B R U N C H. For me- someone who definitely enjoys the happy times in life with a drink to go with it- brunch is just breakfast without a glass of fizz! Bottomless brunch hasn’t hit the doors of Norwich yet sadly so is something that I very much look forward to when having a weekend morning in the big smoke. If this sounds right up your street and you wanna research further there is an amazing website which will narrow down all your drinking needs and specifically has a page for boozy brunches- Design My Night so have a browse.

I have tried a couple and they are both opposite ends of the spectrum…

Villandry– Great Portland Street and St.James you get here free flowing prosecco, OJ, 2 rounds of tea and coffee, a brunch meal, a freshly baked pastry and a cake from their in house patisserie and 2 hours to do it in which is definitely long enough to really get your moneys worth on the bubbly. £35. Villandry is a really pretty Parisian style cafe bar and is definitely a lovely one if you’re out with the girls or other prosecco enthusiasts! Served Saturday and Sunday 12-4pm

The Big Easy– This is totally the opposite end of the spectrum and if you hit the name link it will take you to the menu because this one is an absolute gut-buster if you want it to be. If you choose the BBQ option not only are your drinks free flowing (Prosecco, house wine or lager) but the bbq is bottomless too!! Alternatively you can also have a whole lobster and fries and its all for £29.50. This one I went to with my boyfriend and definitely had more of an atmosphere that a lad would enjoy. I happily enjoyed my lobster and fries with a few glasses of Prosecco and Jamie had a feast of unlimited meat and beer so we were both happy and no accusations of getting dragged around ‘girly’ places. Saturday and Sunday 9-5 and kids even eat free too!! I believe this is only available at the Covent Garden and Canary Wharf branches and not Kings road.

Then one of my absolute favorite hidden gems.The Wright Brothers Oyster House every day 7 days a week all branches of The Wright Brothers do an oyster happy hour where oysters are £1 each between 3 and 6pm. That it literally a fraction of the price you would pay ANYWHERE else and they are so delicious. I normally go to the Kingly Court branch just off Carnaby and it always has a great buzz if you sit out the back in the court. Our bill came to literally £25 for a dozen oysters, beer and Prosecco which is under half what you would pay up the road at the Selfridges oyster bar!!

These are a few of my favorite places to go when I’m in London if I’m looking to feel special and experience something lovely and not break the bank! I can’t wait to try more book-a-table deals in the future!

Do any of you lovely lot have any tips of places to go? Or any of these places your favorites too?

Love H x

So I treated myself to the red carpet favourite ‘Youthmud’ tingle exfoliate mask by Glam Glow. I heard that the celebs swear by the little jar of magic as their secret weapon to flawless looking skin when they are due in a red carpet situation and needed to give it a go myself. If Jen A, Jay-Z and Miley are fans I wanted to give it a go. It’s been around Hollywood for a few years now and is probably old hat for those in the know but Glam Glow was recently bought by Estee Lauder companies and as I work for a sister brand now was definitely my time to try.

I bought the full size 50g jar, this comes in at £39 from Glam Glow directly or you can get it for other official distributors too. There is a also a travel size option for those on the go or wanting to try first.

I opened it up and trust me even the weight of the jar feels luxurious! It came with few clear and simple instructions to stir it when you first open it and to apply even over the face and wash off after 10 minutes. Simple!

I got straight to it! Now the actual appearance of the mask isn’t pretty and you can see a few of the key ingredients that its made up of clearly- volcanic rock which I believe contributes to it’s colour, French sea clay which is the main consistency and then green tea leaf which you can see the little pieces of leaf in the mask.

So as instructed I applied a thin layer of the mask all over the face and the first thing I noticed was the – as stated on the box- tingling sensation. For me this excited me hugely because I love when you can feel something taking effect, as the formula dried and set it was feeling noticeably tightening which again is a beneficial feeling like its making all those little lines disappear.

So tick tock ten minutes later and it’s removal time! I used cool water and just my hands and it comes off like you are doing a routine exfoliation so that extra texture just buffs away and remaining dead skin cells. As soon as my skin was clean I could feel the mask had given instant results as it felt super silky soft. I inspected it very closely and I do think that my pores looked more refined too. I know that this is a once or twice a week treatment so will look forward to the more long time effects also which can include reduction of fine lines and resurfacing so the removal on light sun damage and pigmentation may be on the cards too!!

Shortly after using the mask I applied my make up as usual and my skin had definitely adopted and more radiant bright finish and my make up sat just beautifully and I sure as hell felt glowing and ‘camera ready’.

Even 2-3 days after each morning when I wash my face my skin still feels so lovely and soft so this mask is definitely one I’ll continue to use in my routine. The price point does make it less affordable that some of the more drug store brands but if you are a fan of luxury or looking to splash out I would definitely recommend it. As I said they also do a travel size for around £14 if you fancy taking it for a more financial risk free test drive.

I’m now excited to try more things in the glam glow range!! Has anyone tried any of the other masks or products? Or had amazing results with this one? I would love to hear your stories!

Thanks for reading,

H x

London Luxury on a budget- Eating and drinking

|| PRODUCT REVIEW || GLAM GLOW- YOUTHMUD